The Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy is the leading academic research center in New York City devoted to the public policy aspects of real estate, land use and housing development.
Updates from the Furman Center »
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Furman Center Releases New Report on Foreclosed Properties in New York City
On January 14, 2010, the Furman Center released a new report, Foreclosed Properties in NYC: A Look at the Last 15 Years. The report analyzes the outcomes of 1-4 family properties that entered foreclosure in New York City between 1993 and 2007, paying particular attention to trends in recent years. While foreclosure filings continue to rise, little is known about what happens to those properties—how many homeowners are able to stay in their home, how many sell their homes, how many complete the foreclosure process and end up in REO. This report sheds new light on these questions. View the press release.
On January 14, 2010, the Furman Center released a new report, Foreclosed Properties in NYC: A Look at the Last 15 Years. The report analyzes the outcomes of 1-4 family properties that entered foreclosure in New York City between 1993 and 2007, paying particular attention to trends in recent years. While foreclosure filings continue to rise, little is known about what happens to those properties—how many homeowners are able to stay in their home, how many sell their homes, how many complete the foreclosure process and end up in REO. This report sheds new light on these questions. View the press release.
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Furman Center Releases New Report on Racial Segregation and Subprime Lending
On November 19, 2009, the Furman Center released a new report examining the relationship between residential segregation and subprime lending. The study examined whether the likelihood that borrowers of different races received a subprime loan varied depending on the level of racial segregation. It looked both at the role of racial segregation in metropolitan areas across the country and at the role that neighborhood demographics within communities in New York City played. View the press release.
On November 19, 2009, the Furman Center released a new report examining the relationship between residential segregation and subprime lending. The study examined whether the likelihood that borrowers of different races received a subprime loan varied depending on the level of racial segregation. It looked both at the role of racial segregation in metropolitan areas across the country and at the role that neighborhood demographics within communities in New York City played. The report found that, nationally, black borrowers living in the most racially segregated metropolitan areas were more likely to receive subprime loans than black borrowers living in the least racially segregated metropolitan areas. When looking just at New York City neighborhood demographics, the report found that living in a predominantly non-white neighborhood made it more likely that borrowers of all races would receive a subprime loan. View the press release.
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Furman Center Releases Fact Sheet on New York City Neighborhoods Eligible for NSP II Funding
On July 8, 2009, the Furman Center released a fact sheet describing the NYC neighborhoods that have been hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis, and some of the ways that government agencies and other stakeholders can use data to target the use of funds made available to stabilize these neighborhoods, particularly the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) II.
On July 8, 2009, the Furman Center released a fact sheet describing the NYC neighborhoods that have been hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis, and some of the ways that government agencies and other stakeholders can use data to target the use of funds made available to stabilize these neighborhoods, particularly the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) II.
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Furman Center Releases Key Findings of the New York City’s Housing and Vacancy Survey 2008
On June 25, 2009, the Furman Center released a summary of key findings from the New York City Housing and Vacancy survey 2008. The U.S. Census Bureau releases the HVS every three years. The primary goal of the survey is to estimate the rental vacancy rate in the City, but the survey also provides valuable insight into other trends in the housing stock. However, the data are released in a format that is hard to understand without statistical software. In order to make the findings available to a wider audience, we have analyzed the data about New York City’s neighborhoods and compiled this summary of noteworthy trends.
On June 25, 2009, the Furman Center released a summary of key findings from the New York City Housing and Vacancy survey 2008. The U.S. Census Bureau releases the HVS every three years. The primary goal of the survey is to estimate the rental vacancy rate in the City, but the survey also provides valuable insight into other trends in the housing stock. However, the data are released in a format that is hard to understand without statistical software. In order to make the findings available to a wider audience, we have analyzed the data about New York City’s neighborhoods and compiled this summary of noteworthy trends. You can access additional data from the HVS and a host of other data sources at www.nychanis.com. NYCHANIS—the New York City Housing and Neighborhood Information System—is a free service of NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy.
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Furman Center Launches New Initiative to Track Affordable Housing at Risk of Losing its Subsidy
On March 30, NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced the launch of the Preservation Data Project, a new initiative to track affordable housing in danger of converting to market rate rentals. The three-year project, which received generous funding from the MacArthur Foundation, will make critical data available to the public and help develop comprehensive and proactive housing preservation strategies. View the press release.
On March 30, NYU’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) announced the launch of the Preservation Data Project, a new initiative to track affordable housing in danger of converting to market rate rentals. The three-year project, which received generous funding from the MacArthur Foundation, will make critical data available to the public and help develop comprehensive and proactive housing preservation strategies. View the press release.
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Furman Center Releases State of New York City’s Housing and Neighborhoods Report 2008
On March 11, 2009, the Furman Center released the State of New York City’s Housing and Neighborhoods 2008 report. This year we examine more than thirty years of sale price data to better understand how individual neighborhoods fared in the last two upturns and the last two downturns, and to identify trends that can be useful when looking forward.
On March 11, 2009, the Furman Center released the State of New York City’s Housing and Neighborhoods 2008 report. This year we examine more than thirty years of sale price data to better understand how individual neighborhoods fared in the last two upturns and the last two downturns, and to identify trends that can be useful when looking forward. In addition, several new features have been added to this edition of the State of the City, including information on “greening” NYC and on historic districts and landmarks in the City. We’ve also added new indicators about transportation and proximity to open space. Read the press release.
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Furman Center Hosts Conference: Transforming America’s Housing Policy
On February 12 and 13, 2009, the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation, hosted A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste: Transforming America’s Housing Policy, a national, invitation-only conference.
On February 12 and 13, 2009, the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation, hosted A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste: Transforming America’s Housing Policy, a national, invitation-only conference. By bringing together national and local policymakers, developers, advocates, academics, and private sector leaders from fields as diverse as finance, urban development, environmental protection and child advocacy, the conference presented realistic perspectives on which of the most ambitious and creative ideas in housing can be introduced and brought to scale by the new administration. The conference will result in a white paper, which will provide President Obama, Congress, and the president’s appointees in housing and urban policy with specific recommendations for how to reconstruct the mortgage finance system, bring new models for first-time homeownership to scale, link affordable rental housing with economic opportunities for families, and forge more effective connections between housing programs and transportation, environment and education policy. Read the press release.
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Furman Center Releases New Report: Transforming Foreclosed Properties into Community Assets
Last May, the Furman Center, with support from the Ford Foundation, convened leading housing researchers, policymakers, lenders, and nonprofit housing organizations to discuss how best to leverage public and private resources to reuse foreclosed properties in a manner that helps stabilize neighborhoods.
Last May, the Furman Center, with support from the Ford Foundation, convened leading housing researchers, policymakers, lenders, and nonprofit housing organizations to discuss how best to leverage public and private resources to reuse foreclosed properties in a manner that helps stabilize neighborhoods. The Furman Center has produced a White Paper, Transforming Foreclosed Properties into Community Assets, that documents that roundtable conversation, summarizes much of the discussion’s substance, and includes links to resources—ranging from existing research papers on related topics to listings of REO properties—that we hope will be useful to practitioners, researchers and policymakers involved in neighborhood stabilization projects.
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Furman Center Releases New Report on School Performance of Children Living in NYCHA Public Housing
On November 24, 2008, the Furman Center and the Institute for Education and Social Policy released a new report that examines the school performance of children living in NYCHA housing.
On November 24, 2008, the Furman Center and the Institute for Education and Social Policy released a new report that examines the school performance of children living in NYCHA housing. Public Housing and Public Schools: How Do Students Living in NYC Public Housing Fare in School? finds that children living in NYCHA housing perform less well on standardized math and reading tests than other students, even after controlling for the characteristics of the individual students and the schools they attend. View the press release.
This report was funded by the Independence Community Foundation.
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Furman Center Releases New Report on the Neighborhood Impacts of Supportive Housing
On November 6, 2008, the Furman Center released a new policy brief, summarizing our research on the neighborhood impacts of supportive housing.
On November 6, 2008, the Furman Center released a new policy brief, summarizing our research on the neighborhood impacts of supportive housing. The Impact of Supportive Housing on Surrounding Neighborhoods: Evidence from New York City evaluates the impacts that 123 supportive housing developments across New York City’s five boroughs have had over an 18 year period. View the press release.
This report was funded by the Citigroup Foundation, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, and LISC.

